Beauty

SESH Hairdressing has had a makeover – and is well placed to help you with yours

A new cut and colour at SESH, Edinburgh

The treatment

A cut and colour, from £77 for both, at SESH Hairdressing, Edinburgh.

Why go?

Owner, Simon Hill, opened this salon way back in 2004 when he was only a whippersnapper of 22 years old. It’s hugely popular down the Leith end of town, and people have recommended it to me over the years, but I never made it along. There was no excuse though, when I heard they’d had a relaunch and refit. I can’t comment on what it looked like before, but the huge bright space is certainly swanky now.

Our spy says

On my appointment, it swiftly becomes clear that they’re pretty good as listening at this salon.

The consultation form asks, “What DON’T you like about getting your hair done?”, presumably so they can tailor your future experience, which is nice. I scribble that I hate how long it takes to do my thick wiggy hair and how, like everyone, I detest those uncomfortable wash basins that are part of most salon visits.

Also, when I talk colour with their creative director Victoria, I sense that she is genuinely interested in what I want. There is no glazed expression. So I tell her, no red tones, because I’ve got cool colouring, so they make me look like a beetroot. Also, I really need to disguise my grey and puffy roots.

She decides that balayage would be best. This technique has been around for a few years now, but it retains its popularity because it’s so low maintenance. She’s also going to use a semi-permanent dye on my white roots so that the shade slowly fades out, without leaving a harsh line when those evil sparklies have grown back in again.

I submit to the process of painting, foils, magazines, coffee, and the heat lamp thingummy, before all the dye is washed out (they give me a neck brace for some of this, to take the pressure off ) and a glossing treatment is applied.

Then I’m handed over to Simon. He also asks me lots of questions, and listens.

Thinning it down is the first priority, using layers. He doesn’t want to do anything too dramatic, since it’s my first visit, so I keep schtum about wanting to try a buzz cut.

He gently extracts the bulk from my mane, and leaves it looking gently wavy thanks to his special barrel tongs. It looks fab with the colour – a gorgeous bronze shade that makes my eyes look bluer.

The results

Love this place. It’s nice to go somewhere and not get an off-the-peg haircut that might suit someone else better. Suits me, sir. n

SESH Hairdressing (50-52 Bernard Street, Edinburgh, 0131-555 0708, www.seshhairdressing.co.uk)